Police Detain Three With Cash and Ballots Before Israel Vote
Officers seized tens of thousands of shekels from homes in the Negev on Election Day, prompting a dispute between the governing coalition and the Ra'am party.
By Ethan Harrison ·
Israeli Police detained three residents of Segev Shalom and Ar’ara BaNegev on suspicion of attempting to bribe voters for the Ra'am party on the eve of the national election.
Officers searched the suspects' residences and confiscated envelopes holding tens of thousands of shekels in cash. The raid also yielded notes and other items linked to the investigation.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu addressed the incident in a statement on Tuesday. "Three suspects were arrested in possession of envelopes containing cash, along with ballots for Mansour Abbas," he said. Netanyahu requested a formal inquiry and urged Likud supporters to vote, declaring, "you must go out and vote 'Mahal,' vote Likud for the sake of our country!"
Media reports indicated that police detained the three men four hours before polling stations opened. The arrests occurred away from nearby voting locations and not in front of arriving voters. The suspects were moved to the Southern District’s Fraud Unit for questioning.
Ra'am party officials rejected the narrative of a coordinated fraud attempt. "There was nothing improper about the activists' conduct," the party said in a response. The group described the arrests as an effort by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s police force to suppress Arab voting.
The three men are scheduled to appear in court on Tuesday to determine whether police will extend their detention.
Source: The Jerusalem Post
